Sunrise proposes tighter rules on lobbyists

November 26, 2007|By Jennifer Gollan Staff Writer

Sunrise is about to demand more accountability from lobbyists.

City commissioners are expected to give final approval as early as Tuesday to more stringent rules. They are intended to "identify activities and expenditures of lobbyists and to prohibit lobbying activity in connection with the city's procurement process," a city staff report says.

The proposed rules require lobbyists to:

* Annually register their names, employers and the issue they are lobbying on with the city clerk.

* File biannual expense reports with the city clerk detailing gifts, meals and entertainment given to city officials.

* Swear under oath they do not have relationships, financial or familial, with any city officials they are trying to influence.

* Avoid contacting elected officials and some city staff in the lead-up to the commission awarding a contract to a given company.

The proposed rules won preliminary approval on Oct. 23.

They come more than one month after Hollywood adopted tighter lobbying rules in response to former Commissioner Keith Wasserstrom's conviction on two felony counts of official misconduct related to a sludge-processing deal.

"I believe we should have transparency," said Commissioner Sheila Alu, recounting her reasons for introducing the new rules in a recent interview.

As an added measure to boost transparency, the city clerk will update lobbyist logs quarterly and provide them to commissioners. All logs and reports will be available for public review.

Under the city's current rules, lobbyists who register with the state and county are required to do the same with Sunrise. The impetus for the city's new rules, Alu said, was her exasperation with lobbyists flouting current restrictions.

"We have had a lobbying registration rule for years, but no one ever complied with it," Alu said. "And a lot of it had to do with seeing lobbyists in the [commission's] chambers as I am voting on items."

The ordinance will be effective immediately after the commission's second and final vote.